Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics · Transportation Operations
Pay and outlook shown for
New workers start near $92,370; experienced workers reach $456,570. About 10,930 people do this job in Texas.
Job outlook
Alamo region (San Antonio and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034; U.S. figures from the BLS.
- Employment change
- +11.8%
- Openings a year
- 27
- Employed in 2024
- 211
Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree · Experience: Less than 5 years · Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Alamo Colleges programs that lead here
No program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.
Browse all programsSkills this career uses
The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.
- Operation and Control5.6
- Operations Monitoring4.9
- Active Listening4.3
- Monitoring4.3
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Judgment and Decision Making4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Time Management3.9
What the work is
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport certificate and rating for specific aircraft type used. Includes regional, national, and international airline pilots and flight instructors of airline pilots.
- Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
- Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
- Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- Steer aircraft along planned routes, using autopilot and flight management computers.
- Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
Education people in this job have
Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.
- High school or less26%
- Certificate5%
- Some college1%
- Associate degree6%
- Bachelor's degree61%
Job zone 4, considerable preparation: Usually a bachelor's degree, sometimes a strong associate plus experience.
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